Skirt-supporter.



No. 674,09l. Patentd May I4, I90l. E. L. MAYER.

SKIRT SUPPURTER.

(Application filed Jan. 24, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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EDWARD L. MAYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SKIRT SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 674,091, dated May 14, 1901.

Application filed January 24, 1901. Serial No 44,556. (No model.)

T0 (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. .MAYER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skirt-Supporters; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for supporting dress-skirts, and more especially for fastening the rear portions of the waistband of a skirt to a dress or shirtwaist.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A device em bodyingmy invention embraces in its general features a horizontal pocket either detachably secured to the rear part of a waist, as in a separate belt, or permanently fastened therein, a metal strip inserted in said pocket, which latter is open at its top to receive said strip, and a plurality of hooks on the waistband of a skirt arranged to engage the upper edge of said strip.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the back of a dress-skirt and waist fitted with a device which embodies the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a View with parts broken away, showing the manner of attaching the dress-waist band to the stifiening-strip and showing the strip-retaining pocket, the outer wall being broken away. Fig. 3 is a view of the stifiening-strip detached from the other parts. Fig. ais a sectional view taken through the stripretaining pocket and stiffeningstrip. Fig. 5 is a View showing a part of the device as applied to a belt or band separate from the waist.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, A represents the rear portion of adress-waist. Said waist is provided with a waistband or belt B,,secured on the outside of the waist fabric. Said band is secured by sewing to the body of the waist at its end portions and along its lower edge, but has its upper edge I) unattached to the waist for a short distance in the middle of the back portion of the waist. A narrow horizontal pocket is thus formed, in

which a strip 0 of metal, feather-bone, whalebone, or other suitable material may be inserted. Said strip is held in position by the tightening of the waistband around the wearer. It is preferably covered with cloth or other suitable material to prevent injury to the garment fabric.

On the inner face of the part of the skirtband D, near the upper edge thereof, which is fitted to overlap the lower back portion of the waist and the stiffening-strip pocket, are secured a plurality of downwardly-projecting hooks E, of the ordinary pattern, adjusted and adapted to hook over the upper edge of the waistband and the stiffening-strip. Obviouslyany form of hooks may be used-such, for instance, as are commonly employed by coat and cloak makers. As herein shown, ordinarydress-hooks are employed, which are secured by sewing to the inner face of the skirt-band; but any other suitable form of book may be used, and the same may be secured in any desired or preferred manner to the said band.

While the strip-retaining pocket is formed in the construction illustrated in the firstfour figures of the drawings by the rear part of a belt or band which extends entirely around the garment, yet it is to be understood that such pocket may be made by a shorter attached part or strip corresponding with the central or rear part of said belt and which is applied over or attached to the part or parts constituting the waistband of the shirtwaist, and in this case the attached piece will be made only slightly longer than the strip which is insertedin said pocket or the pocket may be made as illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein it is formed'in the center of a belt or band F, made separate from the garment, said band being provided with the usual fastenings at its ends, whereby it is held upon the wearer, and having, preferably, a tag fprojecting from the lower edge of the belt, below the pocket, by which it may be fastened to the waist by the use of safety-pins or other suitable means.

By the device described the skirt is held firmly in position with respect to the Waistband of the body-garment and is supported directly by the waist or by. a belt secured to the waist. The substantial width given to the strip prevents any sagging, as the weight of the skirt is distributed along a considerable portion of the waist-back, thereby preventing undue stretching of the material, as would happen were the garment supported at any one point or at several separated points. In other words, the strip distributes the strain due to the downward pull of the skirt evenly along a considerable part of the back of the waist, and thereby prevents uneven tension thereon and consequent wrinkling thereof. Furthermore, said strip holds the dress-waist smoothly and firmly down in the back. The

strip is held flat or close against the body by the drawing of the waist portion of the garment about the wearer or in the case of the separate belt by the tightening thereof into place, so that it cannot turn outward with said upper edge. The fastening device does not add to the-thickness of the garments, affords a quick and easy adjustment of the dress, and is completely concealed from view. It does not injure the garment fabric, as is liable to occur if a supporting device having spurs or jaws be used. The stiffener can of course be removed from its pocket to permit the waist to be laundered and may be used for other waists. Moreover, in the use of the device described 110 undue strain is brought upon any part of the garments or upon the person of the wearer.

It will be understood from the above that the term belt as used in the accompanying claims is intended to mean either the parts of a body-garment which encircle the waist, and thereby perform the functions of a Waist-band or belt, or a separate band which is applied around the body-garment and is provided with its own fastening devices for holding it in place about the body.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a belt provided with a horizontal pocket which is closed at its bottom and sides and open at its top, of a stiff strip the width of which is not less than the depth of said pocket, adapted for removable insertion in said pocket through the open top thereof, the upper edge of said strip being in position when the strip is in the pocket to be engaged by books which pass over the upper margin of the strip and the pocket.

2. The combination with a belt provided with a horizontal pocket which is closed at its bottom and sides and open at its top, of a stiff strip which is adapted for removable insertion in said pocket through the open top thereof, theupperv nargin of said strip being substantially flush with the upper margin of the open end of the pocket, and hooks constructed to be secured to the inner face of a shirt-waist band and constructed to hook over the upper margins of said strip and pocket.

3. The combination with a waist provided with a horizontal belt or band secured at its end portions and lower margin to the fabric of the waist but left free at its upper edge to form a pocket, a stiff strip inserted in said pocket, and a dress-skirt having on the inner face of the waistband thereof a plurality of hooks adapted to engage the upper edge of said strip and band.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of January, A. D. 1901.

EDWARD L. MAYER.

WVitnesses:

CLEMENT R. STICKNEY, GERTRUDE BOYCE. 

